Rifle sling

ABSTRACT

A rifle sling is made from an elongated flexible strap which has a portion adjacent one end wider than the remainder of the strap. A pouch is secured to the strap for holding ammunition. The pouch is formed from a single elongated flexible piece which is wider at one end than the remainder of the piece. The wider end is secured at its side edges to the side edges of the wider portion of the sling strap. The more narrow portion of the piece forming the pouch is folded back under the wider portion of the piece to extend under and beyond the wider end of the piece to form a flap for closing the pouch.

United States Patent [72] inventor JiohnE.Bianchi Bradbury Estates, Calif.-

21 Appl. No. 1,185

[22] Filed Jan. 7,1970

[45] Patented [73] Assignee Dec. 14, 1971 Bianchi Leather Products, Inc. Monrovia, Calif.

[54] RIFLE SLHNG 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner- Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney-Christie, Parker & Hale ABSTRACT: A rifle sling is made from an elongated flexible strap which has a portion adjacent one end wider than the remainder of the strap. A pouch is secured to the strap for holding ammunition. The pouch is formed from a single elongated flexible piece which is wider at one end than the remainder of the piece. The wider end is secured at its side edges to the side edges of the wider portion of the sling strap. The more narrow portion of the piece forming the pouch is folded back under the wider portion of the piece to extend under and beyond the wider end of the piece to form a flap for closing the pouch.

RIFLE SMNG This invention relates to a combination rifle sling and a pouch for carrying ammunition.

Slings have long been used to support rifles from a shooters arm or shoulder in either a carrying or a firing position. Such slings have generally been formed of an elongated leather strap, each end of which is formed into a loop to fit through a swivel or D-ring secured to the stock and barrel of the rifle.

The sling must be comfortable when it is used in either the carrying or firing position. As a consequence, efforts have been made to keep the sling as flexible and free of auxiliary equipment as possible. Consequently, prior slings have not provided a pouch or the like for holding ammunition and the shooter usually carries additional ammunition in a pouch secured to his belt, or in a pocket of his clothing.

This invention provides a combined rifle sling and pouch for carrying ammunition so that the shooter does not have to be concerned about carrying ammunition on his person. Thus, when the fire arm is stored, the extra ammunition is automatically stored with it and the shooter is unencumbered with the ammunition and need not take any additional precautions to remove it from his person.

The sling of this invention is made from an elongated flexible strap with suitable means for securing each end of the strap back over itself to form a respective loop for securing the strap to a rifle. The strap is of substantially the same width at each of its ends so the loops can fit through standard swivels or D-rings mounted on the stock and barrel of a rifle. The strap is substantially wider for a portion of its length adjacent to one end and the pouch is secured to the wider portion of the strap.

The pouch is preferably made of an elongated flexible piece which is wider at one end than the remainder of the piece. The side edges of the wider end of the piece are secured to the side edges of the wider portion of the strap which forms the rifle sling. The more narrow portion of the piece is folded back under the wider part to extend under and past the wider end of the piece to form a flap for closing the pouch.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. i is a fragmentary plan elevation of the presently preferred rifle sling of the invention;

F IG. 2 is a side elevation of the rifle sling shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of MG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the piece which forms the pouch prior to being secured to the rifle sling.

Referring to the drawings, a rifle sling B is made of an elongated strap 1111 of leather which has a wider portion 12 adjacent a forward end T3 of the strap. The wider portion 12 tapers gradually to a rear end M of the strap. The forward and rear ends of the strap are of substantially the same width. The widest portion of the strap is approximately twice the width of the ends of the strap. The strap has its widest portion adjacent to the forward end of the strap and tapers relatively steeply to the width of the forward end of the strap. The wider portion of the strap tapers more gradually toward the rear end of the strap. Approximately one-third of the strap is of a width greater than the ends of the strap.

The rear end of the strap has a plurality of holes 116 through it so that the end can be folded back over itself to form a loop 18 which fits through a conventional D-ring (not shown) secured to the stock of a rifle (not shown). The holes allow the length of the strap to be adjusted to fit various sizes of rifles. The rear end of the strap is secured to the adjacent portion of the strap by a thong 20 which is doubled over itself to form a loop which is forced through a pair of aligned holes in the rear end of the strap. The free ends of the thong are carried forward and pass upwardly through adjacent aligned holes and pass through a loop 21 formed by the doubled-over portion of the thong. A conventional keeper 22 is disposed around the loop at the rear end of the strap.

The forward end of the strap has a hole 24 extending through it which fits over a conventional post screw 26 when the forward end of the strap is folded back over itself to form a forward loop 28. The head and base of the post screw secure the forward end of the strap to the adjacent portion to keep loop 2% closed. An elongated pad 30 of split cowhide is stitched to the forward end of the strap and extends rearwardly and terminates adjacent to the point on the strap where it narrows to the width of the ends of the strap. The pad 30 preferably is secured at its side edges by stitching 32 to the side edges of the wider portion and forward end of the strap. The pad has the typical suede surface of split cowhide and has a much higher coefficient of friction against the clothing of the shooter than the adjacent belt leather part of the strap.

A pouch 34 is secured to the wider portion of the strap on the side opposite the pad. The pouch is made of an elongated piece 36 of leather which has a wider portion 38 at one end than the remainder of the piece. The wider portion tapers gradually toward the more narrow portion of the piece, and the narrow portion is about twice as long as the wider portion. The piece is secured to the side edges of the wider portion of the strap by stitches 32 along the sides of the wider portion of the piece. The more narrow portion of the piece remains free and is folded under the wider portion of the piece and extends forwardly to project under and beyond the wider end of the piece to form a flap 410 to close the pouch. A conventional snap 41 and 41A is mounted on the flap and wider portion of the piece so the pouch can be securely closed.

The pouch provides a convenient and secure container for storing extra ammunition with the result that the shooter is able to reload the rifle from the shooting position. The pouch is flexible and light in weight, and in use, it stores ammunition without increasing the stiffness of the sling or interfering with the normal use of the sling in either the carrying or firing posi tion. The pouch is adjustable in length to hold cartridges of different sizes. Moreover, since the pouch is preferably secured to the strap only at its sides, not at its bottom, the flap can be pulled forwardly away from the opening of the pouch to ease the removal of cartridges from the pouch.

The rifle sling is secured to the D-rings of a rifle with the pad facing the rifle and the pouch facing away from the rifle. The wider portion of the strap and the pad form a comfortable section which rests on the shoulder of the shooter when the rifle is in the carrying position. Since the pad has a higher coefficient of friction than the adjacent portion of the strap, the strap does not tend to slip and thus the rifle sits in the most comfortable position for the shooter.

lclaim:

ll. In a rifle sling comprising an elongated flexible strap, and means for securing each end of the strap to a rifle, a pouch secured to the strap, the pouch comprising an elongated piece wider at one end and stitched at the side edges of the wider end to a portion of the strap, the narrower end of the piece folded back under the stitched portion to extend under and past the stitched portion without being secured to the strap or the stitched portion so that the portion which extends under the stitched portion defines a pouch bottom and rear wall which are movable relative to the strap, the portion which extends past the stitched portion forming a flap for closing the pouch, whereby the flap may be pulled away from the stitched portion to move the pouch bottom and rear wall relative to the strap for easy removal of cartridges in the pouch.

2. A combination according to claim 11 wherein the stitched portion of the piece is tapered toward its bottom.

3. A rifle sling comprising an elongated flexible strap, means for securing each end of the strap to a rifle, an elongated piece wider at one end and stitched at the side edges of the wider end to a portion of the strap, the narrower end of the piece being folded back under the stitched portion to extend under and past the stitched portion without being secured to the strap or the stitched portion so that the narrower portion defines with the stitched portion a pouch for cartridges, the stitched portion providing a front wall for the pouch which is rigidly secured to the strap, the narrower portion which extends under the stitched portion defining a pouch rear wall and bottom which are movable with respect to the strap, the

narrower portion which extends past the stitched portion forming a flap for closing the pouch, whereby the flap may be pulled away from the stitched portion to move the pouch bottom and rear wall relative to the strap for the easy removal of cartridges in the pouch 4. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the strap is substantially the same width at each of its ends, and is substantially wider for a portion of its length adjacent to one end; and including an extra piece of soft leather secured to the wider portion of the strap on the opposite side from the pouch, the extra piece having a higher coefficient of friction than the strap.

5. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the means for securing each end of the strap to the rifle include means for securing each end of the strap back to strap to form a respective loop at each end of the strap for securing the strap to the rifle, and in which the means for forming the loop at the end of the strap adjacent to the pouch includes a post screw cooperatively engaged with a pair of axially aligned apertures in the end of the strap.

6. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the strap is of substantially the same width at each of its ends, and is substantially wider for a portion of its length adjacent to one end, and in which the piece is stitched at the side edges of the wider end to the side edges of the wider portion of the strap.

7. A rifle sling according to claim 6 in which the flap is adapted to open toward the end of the strap adjacent to which the wider portion is located. 7

i i l i i 

1. In a rifle sling comprising an elongated flexible strap, and means for securing each end of the strap to a rifle, a pouch secured to the strap, the pouch comprising an elongated piece wider at one end and stitched at the side edges of the wider end to a portion of the strap, the narrower end of the piece being folded back under the stitched portion to extend under and past the stitched portion without being secured to the strap or the stitched portion so that the portion which extends under the stitched portion defines a pouch bottom and rear wall which are movable relative to the strap, the portion which extends past the stitched portion forming a flap for closing the pouch, whereby the flap may be pulled away from the stitched portion to move the pouch bottom and rear wall relative to the strap for easy removal of cartridges in the pouch.
 2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the stitched portion of the piece is tapered toward its bottom.
 3. A rifle sling comprising an elongated flexible strap, means for securing each end of the strap to a rifle, an elongated piece wider at one end and stitched at the side edges of the wider end to a portion of the strap, the narrower end of the piece being folded back under the stitched portion to extend under and past the stitched portion without being secured to the strap or the stitched portion so that the narrower portion defines with the stitched portion a pouch for cartridges, the stitched portion providing a front wall for the pouch which is rigidly secured to the strap, the narrower portion which extends under the stitched portion defining a pouch rear wall and bottom which are movable with respect to the strap, the narrower portion which extends past the stitched portion forming a flap for closing the pouch, whereby the flap may be pulled away from the stitched portion to move the pouch bottom and rear wall relative to the strap for the easy removal of cartridges in the pouch.
 4. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the strap is substantially the same width at each of its ends, and is substantially wider for a portion of its length adjacent to one end; and including an extra piece of soft leather secured to the wider portion of the strap on the opposite side from the pouch, the extra piece having a higher coefficient of friction than the strap.
 5. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the means for securing each end of the strap to the rifle include means for securing each end of the strap back to strap to form a respective loop at each end of the strap for securing the strap to the rifle, and in which the means for forming the loop at the end of the strap adjacent to the pouch includes a post screw cooperatively engaged with a pair of axially aligned apertures in the end of the strap.
 6. A rifle sling according to claim 3 in which the strap is of substantially the same width at each of its ends, and is substantially wider for a portion of its length adjacent to one end, and in which the piece is stitched at the side edges of the wider end to the side edges of the wider portion of the strap.
 7. A rifle sling according to claim 6 in which the flap is adapted to open toward the end of the strap adjacent to which the wider portion is located. 